• Boulder County Birding Certificate Programs
• Dragonflies of Boulder County, Colorado
• BCAS Birding Adventures Scholarship for Teens
• New! Boulder County Audubon Teen Naturalists
• How to Attract Birds to Your Garden
• Puppet Show "Prairie Saga"

Boulder County Birding Certificate Programs

Birding Basics (Spring 2012) This Boulder County Audubon Society course covers the ins and outs of birding, from using binoculars and field guides to identifying birds by field marks and song. Observe hawks, ducks, woodpeckers, songbirds and other birds in their natural habitats while learning about their ecological roles and conservation needs.

Field guides and binoculars will be discussed at the first class, but if you have some, please bring them. We will have others on hand for your use. Breakfast snacks will be provided. Carpooling to other class locations will be discussed at the first class.

Instructors: Sue Cass and Steve Jones

Schedule:

• Saturday, April 28, Walden Ponds, 8:00am to noon - Introduction to birding and tools of the trade (at the picnic tables) followed by two hours of birding as we walk around the ponds.
• Saturday, May 5, Pella Crossing, 7:00am to noon - Walk through the Pella Ponds as first migrants arrive from the south, then a visit to Crane Hollow.
• Saturday, May 19, Heil Ranch or Coal Creek (in Jefferson County), 7:00am to noon - Birds of foothills forests and canyons.
• Makeup class or event: Saturday, May 12, International Migratory Bird Day at Walden Ponds. Instructor TBA.
• Course limit: 12 participants
  Tuition: $90 ($80 for BCAS "Supporting" members; half price for participants under age 18)
  Registration deadline: April 15, 2012
  To register: Contact Mary Balzer (marybalzer@qwest.net) or print, complete and mail the registration form, along with your check, to: BCAS, P.O. Box 2081, Boulder, CO 80306

Scheduled events: (see brochure with details and photos!)

• Winter Raptor Survey, December 10, 9am-noon
• Boulder Christmas Bird Count, December 18

• Did you know that the prairie dog has the most sophisticated language of any mammal studied besides humans?
• Or that prairie dogs have a complex burrow system that includes many rooms and escape tunnels?
• The kids learn that the Prairie Dog is a keystone species and 160 species depend on it for their survival.
  
• Snakes, reptiles, insects, birds, mammals and, of course, the prairie dog tell us about themselves in a fun and entertaining show.
  
• You can even hear real Prairie Dog alarm calls!
  

Our presentation is available to grade school age kids in Boulder County and Beyond.

Life in the burrow is shown through shadow puppets, so the stage needs to be indoors and is more effective in a darkened room.

Space Requirements: The stage is 8' tall and 5'x5' wide/deep.

To book a show or ask questions, contact: maureen_lawry@q.com

• Teachers receive a handout that includes critical thinking questions about the content covered in the show.
• The program reinforces vocabulary and concepts that are taught in the third grade science curriculum dealing with the prairie.
• Also, the program supports art and literacy standards.
• There is Q & A game in which everyone participates.
• Everyone receives an amazing bookmark with photographs and facts about the prairie.

Please consider having us visit your group to put on this delightful "Prairie Saga" Puppet Show.

What they are saying about the Puppet Show:

Your show was inspiring and educational! Students learned a great deal about the importance of "keystone" animals and their effects on our environment if they are removed from our eco-system. Thanks for educating our students in such a clear, caring and creative manner.
-- Jenny Platt, Bear Creek Elementary School, Third grade teacher

Before watching the PRAIRIE SAGA puppet show at the zoo, I thought prairie dogs only caused plagues and should be eliminated. The show taught me about the colony. I was fascinated to learn that they have bathrooms in their burrows, a complex communication system and escape tunnels. This show enables me to teach first and second graders about the prairie dog and its importance as a keystone species in the prairie ecosystem.
-- M.S., a Denver Spellbinder (storyteller)

Audubon's educational puppet show, The Prairie Saga, tells the white-tailed prairie dog story in an educational and fun way that clearly demonstrates the critical role this species plays in maintaining the health of our native grasslands. (more ...)

The show brilliantly uses puppet theater to distill complex ecological concepts for a diverse audience, but the end message is anything but simplistic. Without addressing the threats to this highly-imperiled keystone species, we are risking the future of dozens of other species that depend on the white-tailed prairie dog for survival. Kids and adults alike are captivated by the show and inspired by its message to take action on behalf of our dwindling prairie ecosystems. Center for Native Ecosystems will continue to include The Prairie Saga in our outreach efforts for years to come.

-- Andrea West, Development Director, Center for Native Ecosystems

The prairie dog puppet show was entertaining and educational for all ages! (more ...)

The program revolves around the story of a young, precocious prairie dog and his wise grandmother in a prairie dog town. The program incorporates not only life at the surface, but also underground and in the air showing birds of prey. The use of the shadow box was a very creative way to show that prairie dogs remain active throughout the multi-level burrow in which they live. I really enjoyed the program and am looking forward to seeing it again during our Fall Ferret Festival at Badlands National Park. The program does a fantastic job not only of entertaining us but also showing us the importance of the prairie dog as a keystone species in the prairie.

-- Alison Shoup, Park Ranger, Volunteer Program Manager, Badlands National Park

A few weeks ago, we hosted a puppet show with world-renowned puppet mistress Maureen Lawry. She performed THE PRAIRIE SAGA, featuring Petey the Prairie Dog. Participants learned about just how important the prairie ecosystem is. The puppet show was so successful, we hope to schedule a few more.
-- Steve Mertz, Open Space Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO

You certainly know how to cast a spell ...
-- a parent at a showing of The Prairie Sage

Comments (unedited!) from the kids:

The show was awesome.

It taute me new things, and It was funny.

I used to think that they were just dogs that just dig and dig.

I learned that prairy dogs are important to other life.